College Teaches You More than Just Academics

 

I've been in college since Fall of 2015. I'm about to graduate, and I definitely feel I have learned and matured so much in these last 4 years of college. Different experiences and circumstances brought on by college have shaped me into the person I am today, and there's a chance I wouldn't have learned all this if I hadn't moved away from home for college.

I've learned things about myself that high school Paola would not have expected 
All throughout my high school years, I thought I wanted to work in healthcare because I wanted to help others. After going through a whole year of Nursing school, I realized that I wasn't made to work in healthcare. I'm too sensitive and introverted to be a nurse. And that's okay!

I don't have to work in healthcare to help others. Anyone can help others in many different ways.

I've learned that life don't always come out the way you think.
I know it sounds cliche, but I always had this solid plan in my head of what kind of life and undergraduate career I would have. None of those plans came out the way I imagined.

In reality, I'm graduating a semester later than I thought I would with a degree in a field that I never even considered in high school. But, I've found that these experiences have helped me learn more about myself and what kind of person I want to be.

I've also learned that you should listen to yourself when it comes to important life decisions.
I knew after my first semester in Nursing school that I did not want to be a nurse. The only reason I stayed in the program one more semester is because everyone around me told me that I couldn't give up. "Everyone wants to quit nursing school at one point."

 Deep inside, I already knew that I didn't want to be a nurse, but I decided to listen to everyone else instead of myself. That decision cost me quite a bit. If I had listened to myself from the beginning, I would have been much happier.

College teaches you so much more than just the classes you take. These four, five, six, or however many years help shape you into the person you're meant to become. It will be scary and frustrating at times, but in the end you'll realize how much this time has helped you grow.

-Paola